


Promises, Promises

by LoserLikeSkeeter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Break Up, Canon Compliant, F/M, Rare Pair, Rare Pair Fest, canon adjacent, challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 18:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18878479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoserLikeSkeeter/pseuds/LoserLikeSkeeter
Summary: Charlie Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks were Hogwarts sweethearts, but what's to become of them when one decides to leave after they graduate?





	Promises, Promises

**Author's Note:**

> I am so proud of this story. This is my first fest piece written for a pairing other than Wolfstar, so I certainly hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Pairing: Charlie/Tonks  
> Prompt: Charlie/Tonks Canon Compliant  
> Rating: T  
> Era: Pre-Hogwarts

A firm arm around the waist. A robust head of hair burrowing into his shoulder. Charlie Weasley was lazing away in an early morning dream. Comfortable as he was and sweet as the dream had been, he let out a sigh and a languid stretch, his arms coming into contact with something next to him. Hesitantly, he squinted one eye open, nearly falling off the edge of the bed at the sight before him.

“Good morning.” the young, pink-haired girl laughed as Charlie frantically tried to make himself decent, wrapping a sheet securely around his waist and dragging his fingers through his hair.

“ _Christ, Dora._ ” he exclaimed, doubling over to catch his breath, “You scared me. How did you-”

“I had to guess the new password.” she shrugged, sitting up, “You know, being a _prefect_ implies a certain level of _brightness,_ Weasley. I would’ve thought you brighter than to make the password to your room _password._ How long do you think it would take someone to crack that nut?”

“What-”

“I’ll give you a hint.” she said, her eyes gleaming, “It took me all of two minutes. I’d give it the switch before the Slytherins decide to come knocking. You know that Digby might just be mad enough to plant something in here after you win the big match today.”

He nodded, realization dawning as he began to shuffle around the room, pulling out his robes and getting ready for the day, “Oh, so that’s what this is. You’re here to give me a pep talk before the big match.”

“‘Course not.” she shook her head indulgently, jumping up from the bed and strolling across the room to join him by the sink where he set out a toothbrush and shaving cream, “I don’t think you need a pep talk.” Tonks shrugged, “But I do want to wish you good luck. And win or lose, I’d like you to meet me down by the lake after the match. I’ve got news.”

“What sort of news?” he asked tentatively, peering at her through the mirror over the sink, “Anything I should be worried about?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. It’s good news. I just...don’t want you to worry about it until after the match.” she murmured with a smile, “I’ve got to get going. I’m commentating today. _Don’t_ forget to eat before the match. Make sure your teammates do as well. You all do much better when you’re not playing on empty stomachs.” she insisted, bouncing up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek, “I’ll see you out there.”

*

“Good morning, fellow students, and welcome to the 1991 Hogwarts Quidditch final!” Tonks bellowed into the microphone, fighting to be heard against the beating rain, howling wind, and whooping spectators below, “On the left, we have the bold, the courageous, the downright _stunning-_ ”

“Miss Tonks-”

“ _Gryffindor!_ ” Tonks bellowed the crowd to her left wailed and pounded fists in the air as seven players on broomstick took a lap around the pitch. “And on the other side, we’ve got Slytherin,” she said, with decidedly less gusto, as seven silver and green clad athletes tore across the pitch in formation, “most of whom still owe me galleons on that Gryffindor Ravenclaw match from last term.”

“ _Miss Tonks,_ ” Professor McGonagall snapped from alongside the commentator’s podium, her fingers gripping tightly at its edge, “please stick to the _approved dialogue_ like we discussed.”

“Just trying to add some color, Professor.” said Tonks with a moment’s impish grin before turning back to the match, her eyes trained on the players hovering right at eye level, “Alright, ladies and gents - there go the bludgers...the snitch has been released - _and the game begins!_ ”

Her eyes darted back and forth across the pitch, watching as the Seeker went in one direction and the quaffle went in the other, “Slytherin had possession. Paxton passes to Hale, back to Paxton and to Digby... _nice save_ by newcomer, Oliver Wood, who consequently also owes me money on-”

“ _Nymphadora-_ ”

“Sorry, Professor.” she said, though clearly not in the least bit sincere, “Okay...Gryffindor has possession and - _Morgana’s tits,_ beater alternates Fred and George Weasley both tearing down the pitch at breakneck speeds to get the bludger that seems to be heading _right for Charlie Weasley. And it might do his dumb arse some good to get out of the way!_ ” she shouted over the roar of the Slytherins, who had just reclaimed possession and were half of them following the bludger’s course and the other half watching the progression of the quaffle.

McGonagall rolled her eyes, grappling with the microphone before leaning over the edge of the commentator box, “He can’t _get out of the way,_ you silly girl. _Weasley has just seen the snitch!_ ”

Raucous shouting began to rise from both sides of the pitch as several maneuvers happened all at once. Fred had taken a blind swing for the bludger, unable to see through the pouring rain. He’d managed to redirect it, but had also clobbered George in the process and was now scorching toward the ground to try to stifle his brother’s fall. Paxton dodged the second bludger, flinging the quaffle through the left goal hoop, grazing Wood’s fingers as it soared past.

“Ten points to Slytherin.” McGonagall announced, putting ten points on the board, though virtually nobody’s eyes were on the quaffle or those defending it at that point.

Both Charlie and Quinton Oakes had caught sight of the glittering snitch as were tearing off after it over the crowd of spectators, “Look at him go. Merlin, you can tell he’s been toning. _Go, Weasley, go!_ ” Tonks shouted, watching intently as Charlie bent low over his broomstick, his nose practically skimming its length as he scorched full-tilt only mere inches over the spectators’ heads, rainwater from the tails of his robes whipping onlookers in the face as he went.

“Miss Tonks, if I hear one more word-”

Tonks waved the professor off, her eyes trained ahead, not on the game, but on the two boys chasing frantically after the snitch, “Oh, come on, Professor. It’s not like I was talking about Oakes’s-”

Pinching her nose between thumb and forefinger, McGonagall let out a long-suffering sigh, “It doesn’t matter whose- _oh! I think he’s done it!_ ” she roared, as calamitous bellows came from the Gryffindors and Charlie held one hand high in the air, hovering only a foot or so from the ground. A furious-looking Oakes dismounting his broom just below.

“Charlie Weasley’s caught the snitch!” shouted Tonks, launching herself out of the commentator’s box and sprinting down the bleachers toward the pitch along with what appeared to be the entirety of Gryffindor house, a black and yellow speck shooting through a sea of scarlet and gold.

“Gryffindor has won the 1991 Hogwarts Quidditch Cup!” McGonagall announced, as she took up Tonks’s place in the commentator’s box, though truly no one was concerned with the announcements with the game won.

Charlie touched down with ease, the snitch still held high as he smiled earnestly out over the swarming crowd. He hadn’t noticed Tonks pelting toward him until it was too late. Tonks hadn’t been able to slow herself and they’d ended up in a mess of clumsy limbs on the ground, “Hi.” he murmured dumbly, his cheeks and neck blushing bright red as she threw her arms around him.

“That was bloody brilliant!” she cheered, as she was dragged to her feet by a couple of Gryffindors boys who had come running down the pitch with the Cup between them. They thrust it into Charlie’s chest the moment he’d gotten to his feet and in the next, he was being carried away on the shoulders of a scarlet and gold mob.

*

As midday came and went, Tonks lounged by the lake, watching as classmates swam, shared packed lunches, and went over their OWLs and NEWTs material. It had been hours since the Gryffindors has hauled Charlie off to Merlin-only-knew-where. The sun soon began to sink below the horizon and her classmates were packing up for the night. She was about to call it a night herself when the familiar form of her favorite Weasley appeared over the hill.

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to come.” she murmured, standing up to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck and taking his lips with her own.

“I’m sorry.” he grumbled, letting his arms loop around her middle, “I wanted to check on George. He’s still in the hospital wing.”

“But he’ll be alright?”

“Eh, of course he will.” chuckled Charlie, linking his fingers with hers as they began the long and muddy trek around the lake, “So what was this news that you wanted to tell me?”

“Oh,” She lit up. Tonks had nearly forgotten the news that she’d intended to tell him, “Yes...I’ve been wanting to tell you all day. I...”

“What’s got you tripping over your words?” he laughed, giving her hand a squeeze, “Spit it out.”

“I got my acceptance letter this morning.” she said, her eyes sparkling, “I start at the auror academy in July.”

He reeled, shaking his head as a wry smile split his face, “Tonks, that’s incredible!” he exclaimed, pulling her in tight and pressing a kiss to her temple, “But we knew you were good. I’m proud of you. You’ll do amazing.”

“Have you heard back from Puddlemere United?” asked Tonks, peeling herself away from him in order to continue walking, “It would be perfect if we could both stay in England.”

“Yeah, I have.” he said hesitantly, as their entwined hands swung between the two, “I got it.”

“ _You did!_ ” she exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth as she nearly doubled over in her excitement, “Char, that’s wonderful. Merlin, I’m proud of you.”

As excited as she was, he couldn’t quite match the sentiment, only hugging her seemingly as a courtesy, “That...isn’t all I got.” he finally admitted, looking down at her to gauge her response, “I was accepted into the internship program in Romania.”

Frustrated, Tonks’s arms dropped from around his neck immediately, “ _Charlie-_ ”

“I really don’t see what the harm is in giving it a go.” Charlie admitted, following after her as she began trudging in double time back toward the castle.

“We’ve talked about the harm in it.” she grumbled, her hair flaming as she yanked her foot out of a massive puddle of mud, “I don’t think you understand how difficult it’s going to be - you there and me here. When are we _ever_ going to see each other? Have you even considered-”

“Of course I have.” he insisted, helping to pull her boot free from the mud, stumbling back as she continued onward, “Forgive me for assuming that you would be coming with me to Romania.”

“ _Come with you?_ ” she practically shrieked, whirling on him then, “Charlie, I have to _train._ And I have to do it in London. I need you _here._ ”

“Well, then it seems like we’re at an impasse, doesn’t it?” he said darkly, his chest heaving with barely-controlled anger, “This is important to me.”

“And my training is important to _me._ ” she growled back, glaring back at him with equal fury in her eyes.

After a moment’s longer stand-off, Charlie turned and marched away back toward the lake. Watching him turn and leave was something she hadn’t _fully_ expected. Tonks shook with anger as she whirled on the spot and headed back up the hill toward the castle. Just to add insult to injury, the small window of lovely weather swiftly closed and the skies opened up in a deluge.

*

_You can’t just ignore him._ Tonks thought to herself as she raked her hands through her hair.

After their argument, she had gone straight back to her dorm and had been sat alone, curled up in a sad, damp ball in the middle of her four poster. She hadn’t heard from a single one of her roommates nor friends from any other house. She wanted comfort, needed it, craved it. And she knew who she needed it from.

Pushing down her pride, she crawled from her bed and cleaned herself up. Looking over at her clock, she realized it was only minutes to curfew. She had to act quickly. Wrapping her nightgown tightly around herself, she slinked from the dormitory and down the hall, sending up a silent prayer that she wouldn’t run into Filch, Mrs. Norris, or Peeves, for that matter. After a minute, she stood outside of Charlie Weasley’s door, her hand poised to knock. It was then that the tiny voice in her head snapped at her. _You can’t do this._

As luck had it, though, she didn’t end up having to make the decision for herself. The door flew open just as she was preparing to turn and run, and Charlie Weasley ran headlong into her, causing her to collapse to the floor in a stunned heap, “ _Oh._ ” he gasped, peering down at her in shock, “ _Tonks;_ I didn’t think-”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“I was just going down to the kitchens-”

“I-”

“Come in,” he said frantically, stepping to the side and ushering her in, “I was going to find something to eat. Are you hungry?”

She took comfort in the offer; it was something he would have offered on any normal day. Tonks couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “Yeah...I could, um, I could eat.” She tripped over her words, shaking her head at herself. Typically she would have been able to form a cohesive thought, but today...there was something about today. There was a shift that was making things difficult.

“Good.” he nodded, letting his eyes linger on her for a moment longer before finally turning, running a hand over the back of his neck, “Right. I’ll be back in a minute. Make yourself comfortable.”

And she did just that. While he was gone, she wandered to the bed that they had studied and cuddled over dozens of time before. She took in the scent from his pillow, the divet that his weight had made over the last year. If today had gone differently, she thought, these would be things that she may have dealt with for the rest of her life. Somehow, she found, those ideas were beginning to slide farther and farther from reality.

“Back,” Charlie murmured, pulling her out of her reverie as he sat a plate of sandwiches and a flagon of pumpkin juice down between them. He followed a moment later, sinking into the mattress with a relieved sigh, “It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah.” she agreed, her lips pursed into a grim line, “We should, um, we should probably talk about it, shouldn’t we?”

“I don’t really want to.”

She let out a deep groan, pushing herself to sitting before slumping over double, lifting one of the sandwiches from its plate, “I don’t either.” she admitted, “But I think we need to. We aren’t going to be able to skirt this forever, are we?”

“No, I guess we’re not.” he said reluctantly, “Where are we supposed to start. I don’t even know-”

“You’re dead set on Romania?” Tonks asked. Even as she took a nibble out of the corner of her sandwich, she could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She already knew the answer.

A moment’s silence told her all the she needed to know. However, after a deep breath, Charlie managed to eek out a, “Yeah.”

“I really can’t turn down this opportunity, Char.”

“I...I know that.” he sniffed, running the back of his hand over his cheek, batting away tears, she could safely assume, “This is the worst.”

“I know.” she whispered, finally risking a look in his direction. Sure enough, there were tears streaming down his cheek in steady, thin lines, matching her own. She threw what remained of her sandwich back onto the plate with a huff, having lost what little appetite she’d regained throughout the day, “I’m sorry, Charlie.”

“Merlin,” he grumbled with a sniff and a half-hearted laugh, slumping as she placed a hand over his for what little comfort it would provide, “I really thought you were it for me, Nymphadora.” he said weakly.

“Don’t call me Nymphadora.” she chided weakly, “But for what it’s worth...I thought you were it for me, too.” she said, her fingers slipping between his and holding on tightly, as if he were her lifeline, “I don’t want this to be over.”

He let out a sigh, laying back onto his hefty stack of pillow before motioning for her to join him. She was reluctant at first, but finally conceded to it, wrapping her arms around his middle and letting her head rest on his chest. Finished though their relationship may have been, they still found comfort in the presence of the other and both immediately started to calm. Charlie’s breath began to even and Tonks’s hair went from its mousy brown back it a semblance of its once-vibrant turquoise.

“We’ll still be friends, right?” she asked weakly, staring off into the darkness as his arms tightened around her, “You don’t...hate me or anything?”

“I could never hate you.” he chuckled lightly, “I’ll write. As often as you like - everyday if that’s what you want..”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Contented in this assurance and each the sound of the other’s beating heart, the two drifted off into a light sleep, holding each other for what would be the last time.

*

**Five Years Later**

_The Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, London._

Tonks repeated the mantra to herself on a loop as the walked past row after row of unassuming townhomes. Part of her couldn’t believe she was putting her job on the line over the unfounded rumor that You-Know-Who was back. After having been assured by both Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dumbledore, though, she was certain she’d made the right decision. She was an Auror, after all. Her one and only job was to serve and protect, and that was precisely what she was doing.

She’d been sure it had been some cruel joke the first time she’d walked up Grimmauld Place to find nothing between houses eleven and thirteen but dead space. To her astonishment, though, after having thought the mantra several times, a brick townhome materialized between the two, old, dated, but otherwise seemingly full of life.

Through the curtained windows she could just make out what appeared to be the figured of at least two dozen people shuffling around, preparing for some sort of event. As she made her way to the door, she was shocked to have it flung open before she could even knock.

“Get in. Quickly. Quiet, now.” Alistor Moody growled, grabbing her by the front and yanking her over the threshold where she promptly fell forward, catching herself on knees and elbows, making quite a crash, “For God’s sake.” Moody growled as curtains flew open overhead and a shriek tore up and down the hallway from the mouth of a rather bitter-looking old woman.

“ _Filth! Half-breeds!_ ”

“Quiet, you.” Moody glowered, flicking his wand at the woman, silencing her, before trudging around the corner and calling, “Can I get some help with the old bat?”

A moment passed in silence as Tonks righted herself. The sound of heavy boots rounded the corner as another voice joined Moody’s, a tall man helping Moody to slam the curtain shut around the bellowing portrait,  “Who’s making all the racket out here? We said in the letters that the portraits are- _Tonks._ ”

Her eyes grew wide. He was leaner than before, had a large number of noticeable scars and scratches. His nose was bent in such as way that it made her think it had been broken one too many times. But there he was. Charlie Weasley, in the flesh.

“Wotcher,” she whispered, her eyes trained on him in a way that made both of them squirm, “It’s been a while.”

Charlie broke into a grin that he couldn’t quite help, raking a hand through his hair as an involuntary blush began to rise in his cheeks and at the base of his neck.

Moody let out a disinterested grunt, teetering off toward the room where Charlie had just come from, “You’ve got three minutes for the cozy catch up. You hear me?” he said pointedly, “Meeting is in _three minutes._ ”

Once Mad Eye was well enough out of earshot, Tonks turned to Charlie, still not quite believing he was there in front of her, “It’s been a while.” she said in what she hoped was a casual tone, “How’re things in Romania?”

“They’re alright.” he said with a nod, “How’re things at the Academy?”

“I just graduated last year, actually. I’m a full-fledged Auror now, if you can believe it.” she said, laughing and shaking her head as she did, “Come here.” she grumbled after a moment of silence, throwing her arms open and pulling him into a tight hug, “You look good, Charlie.”

“Yeah. You, too.” he conceded, “You, um, well, I’m really happy for you. It sounds like things are going the way you wanted.”

“I could say the same for you. I saw that article they took out in the Prophet a couple of months back. _You_ found the last two Tasmanian Dagger-Tails in existence. It was big news. Congratulations on that, by the way.” she said, elbowing him with a smile, “I can’t believe you didn’t write just to brag. I would have if I were you.”

“Sorry to break this up,” a tempered voice called, as a tall and rather shabby-looking man peered around the corner at the pair, “The meeting is about to begin.”

“Thanks, mate.” Charlie called casually, looping an arm around Tonks’s shoulders and pulling her toward the man, “Tonks, have you met Remus Lupin?”

“Can’t say I have.” she said with an interested look, holding a hand out to the older man, “Wotcher.”

“If my memory serves, the two of you will be keeping first watch at Privet Drive this evening.” Charlie said.

“ _Oh._ ” Remus said, a look of dawning on his face, “You’re Nymphadora.”

“ _Tonks._ ” she said shortly, “Nobody calls me Nymphadora.”

“Nobody with a lick of sense, anyway.” Charlie interjected, “This girl has got one of the strongest stinging jinxes around.”

“I’ll bare that in mind.” he said with a tired smile, “Shall we?”

And with that, the three made their way into the meeting.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments are like food for my soul. Please let me know what you think down below!


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